Study underscores link between diabetes and managing weight

Posted January 4, 2013

It’s been well established that the benefits of weight loss go beyond the numbers shown on a scale. Lowered risks of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are just a few of the advantages that weight loss can bring, while the exhilaration of having more energy when the extra pounds melt away can make losing weight a worthy goal.

A new study from researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center underscores the connection between losing weight and gaining better health. The study, which was published in a recent issue of Nature Medicine, showed that when scientists altered the protein mitoNEET during experiments on mice, they were able to expand fat tissue without damaging their metabolism.

MitoNEET is part of a cell’s mitochondrion, often referred to as its “energy powerhouse.” When the protein became elevated in fat cells, more of it was retained within the adipose tissue and created a barrier between toxic lipids and other cells. When mitoNEET levels decrease, glucose may not metabolize properly and can lead to pre-diabetic conditions.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense.

A well-tested way for people to maintain a weight loss program is to try a dietary supplement such as Skinny D, a product of Dr. Newton’s Naturals. Clinically tested to reduce pounds, this concentrate allows an individual to replace one meal a day while providing nutrients and stopping sugar cravings at only 10 calories per serving.

Using an effective weight loss supplement brings people one step closer to reducing health risks such as diabetes. The UT Southwestern study pointed out the importance of the connection between controlling such risks and maintaining a healthy weight.

“We have heretofore underestimated the importance of mitochondrial pathways in our fat cells and their influence on how we manage our weight,” Dr. Philipp Scherer, a UT professor and the study’s senior author, stated in a university release.